Trick-or-treat: Children in Russia’s North Caucasus record militant-style threatening videos

Children in Russia’s Republic of Dagestan have found a new form of entertainment: making threatening videos and sending them to adults. Armed with toy weapons, the kids imitate the behavior of militants while demanding money, good grades at school.

Several of the videos have been circulating on the web, but
police say they are meant to be a joke and pose no real danger.
However, many are wondering why young children – who are known to
copy the actions of adults – are taking part in such violent role
play.

In one of the videos, a boy who appears to be around 12 years old
demands good grades in school. It is apparently addressed to his
teacher, as the boy states that he should have only “A” grades in
both the school register and his student record within five days
of the video’s receipt.

“If you don’t do that, I’ll first kill Khalimat and Nurmagomed
and then come at you. Insha'Allah (If God is willing),” the
child says without a smile on his face. The boy, posing with a
toy pistol, speaks in the Avar language, which is common for one
of the largest ethnic groups living in the Republic of Dagestan.

Another child of about the same age is armed with a
plastic machine gun and demands money. The boy
recalls that “when he was a kid,” he was beaten up by
someone called Mohammed. He then demands that Mohammed give him
two million rubles (US$60,000) and his motorcycle.

The young “racketeer” says that if his request is not fulfilled,
Mohammed’s “son and a couple of other people” will be
killed. The boy gives the man five days to make payment.

According to police, no one has yet complained about the videos.

“We know that such records appeared on the internet. It’s so
painful, such a shame that children take part in them. But it’s a
mistake of adults who set an example,” Indira Aganyeva, a
police officer in the Dagestani capital of Makhachkala, told Life
News.

Law enforcement officers are currently searching for the authors
of the clips, according to Komsomolskaya newspaper.

“Children are just like litmus paper. They absorb all the bad
and good things happening in society,” Fatima Ubaidatova, a
representative of Dagestan’s Interior Ministry press service,
told the paper.

She added that the boys are most likely under the age of 14.
“So their parents will be punished. Most probably with a
fine.”

Sending videos on USB flash drives is a common practice among
illegal armed groups in Dagestan. Gunmen typically send footage
to businessmen and authorities, threatening to kill them and
their relatives unless they give money to
jihad.